Braided sling structure



Patented Jan. 211947 2,414,664 BRATDED sLING STRUCTURE Vincent C. J.Peterson, Forty Fort, Pa., assignor to American Chain & Cable Company,Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of New York Application .l une 5,1945, Serial No. 597,645

Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to fabrication of wire rope structures, and moreparticularly to Wire rope slings. It is also concerned with theproduction of an eye on the end of a braided structure.

The braided portion of a sling is so made primarily for flexibility.However, braided slings have eyes at the end which are provided withthimbles to prevent undue wear caused by engagement with the liftinghook. For this reason, the ideal eye would have a cable or rope laid eyepassing around the thimble, and a braided or plaited body portion. Thetransition from braid to laid construction is, however, achieved inprior slings only with great diculty.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide abraided sling body with a cable or rope laid eye.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sling witha novel type of braiding which can be utilized in continuation to formthe eye portion.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novelmethod of fastening the ends of the ropes forming the braid of a sling.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig, 1 is a fragmentary view showing the arrangement before starting thebraiding or plaiting operation;

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the first step in thebraiding operation;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the second step in the braidingoperation;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the third step in the braidingoperation;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the opened braid;

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are successive steps in the formation of the eye;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View showing a. completed sling;

Fig. 10 is a view of a modified form of sling in one stage ofmanufacture; and

Fig. 11 is a partly sectional View of the sling of Fig. 10 completed.

The construction shown involves a novel type of braid which has a flatcross-section, preferably made of wire ropes plaited together, althoughthe invention is also applicable to plaited cables, strands or evenwires. Ropes are preferred.

The method of forming the braid is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Asshown, an odd number of parts is employed. The illustrated form hasseven parts, a convenient number for forming the eye as will appear.

Seven ropes of equal lengths are bunched together and seized, one of theropes being utilized as a core and the others being arrangedtherearound. The ropes are shown in Fig. l as being separated into twogroups, each rope being numbered. The operation' of forming the braidconsists of taking the outside rope from the group having the largernumber of ropes, passing it over the other ropes of its group, andlaying it alongside the other group, between the two groups. Thus, ropel is passed over ropes 2, 3, and 4, and laid alongside rope l, as shownin Fig. 2. This operation is repeated until the length of braid desiredis formed. The repetition is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4-i. e., outsiderope 5 from the larger group is passed over ropes 6, 1, and I, and laidalongside rope 4; and outside rope 2 is then passed over 3, 4, and 5,and laid alongside rope l.

This method of braiding is convenient for attaining the braidcontemplated. but the braid itself is novel in appearance and structure,regardless of the method of production. When the braid is completed andin use, it has the appearance of two parallel cables, one of left andthe other of right lay, with each of the elements thereof leaving itscable and becoming part of the other cable for an interval.

In Fig. 5 is shown the braid in an opened condition, the parts beingconventionally drawn in their correct relative positions. Part I hasbeen shaded to more clearly illustrate the structure. As can be seen,from point a to point b. the part l passes over three other parts (2, 4,and 5) while from b to c it passes under three parts (1, 6, and 3) andfrom c to d it passes over` three parts (2, 4, and 5) at differentplaces. This alternate passage over and under a group is thecharacteristic structure of the braid and is true of every other part ofthe braid. The number of ropes in a group, (three), is half of one lessthan the total number of parts. When live parts are used, the groupingwill be over two, under two,

Further examination of the diagram referred to will disclose that frompoint b to point d the part l passes around six parts, so that when thebraid is actually constructed, the two edges present a cable laidstructure to the eye. The reversals, as, for example, point c in Fig. 5,are long and gradual, and not as shown in the diagram but rather asshown in Fig. 9.

At completion of braiding, the braid is secured by seizing and an eyeformed at each end of the braiding. The process of forming the eye isi1- lustrated in Figs. 6 to 8. The ropes are laid parallel, one formingthe core, and a suitable length is seized at l5 and I6, as illustratedin Fig. 6. The ropes are separated into two groups, and rope 4, whichisthe core in the straight section ill, is bent around to form an eye,being out to a suitable length. The other ropes are then wrapped aroundthe'core, to form a laid eye. This is done by wrapping half of themaround the core from the point where it emerges fromy the seizings I 6,as illustrated in Fig. 6, and wrapping the remaining ropes from the endof theY `crushing or abrasion by the hooks in conjunction with which thesling is used. Y

vIn Figs. 10 and 11 a modified form of the pres- `ent'invention isshown.. In this form the braid is formed asY before Yand the straightsection 22 .formed as described. However, the eye is simply laid uparound a core, starting at the seizing s3,

and seizing 24 applied to keep the eye in cable form. The core, if any,is cut off at or near the seizing 24. The ropes are then disposed aroundthe straight section 22 and secured. Preferably y this is done bypassing some of the ropes through the straight portion, as shown in Fig.l0, and securing them to the outside of the straight section as shown inFig. 11, by a pair of ferrules 25 or the like.

It is to be understood that the braiding method described is applicableto any odd number of lparts. Likewise, the method of forming the eye isapplicableI to any' number of parts. It is also possible to make an eyelwithout a core or with an added or even built-up core, depending uponthe adaptability of the number of parts in the |braid to laying upincable form.

While I have described certain particular constructions in which myinvention is incorporated,

I do not desire to be limited to these particular fil embodiments sincemany changes and modifications may easily'be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forthy in the followingclaims.

1. A sling structure comprising a plurality of parts forming the body ofthe sling, a section in which said parts lie in cable formation to forman eye, and a section between said cable section and the body sectionwherein the parts lie in bunched formation and are overlaid by the endsof the cable parts, said ends lying in the Valleys between the bunchedparts, and means embracing said ends securing them tothe bunched parts.

2. A sling structure comprising a plurality of parts forming the body ofthe sling, a section in which said parts lie in cable formation to forman eye, one of said parts forming a core and the other parts beingdisposed therearound in cable Y formation, and a section between saidcable section and the body section wherein the parts lie in bunchedformation and are overlaid by the ends of the cable parts, said endslying in the Valleys between the bunched parts, the part forming thecore ending short of said bunched section, and meansA embracing saidends securing them to the bunched parts.

3'. A sling structure comprising a plurality of parts forming the bodyof the sling, a section in which said parts lie in cable formation toform an eye, and a section between said cable section and the braidedsection wherein the parts lie in bunched formation and are overlaid bythe ends of the cable parts, said. ends lying ,in the valleys betweenthe bunched parts, and a plurality of spaced ferrules embracing saidends and securing them to the bunched parts.

4. A sling structure comprising a plurality of parts forming the body ofthe sling, a section at one end of the body in which the parts arebunched, an eye formedof the parts on the opposite end of said section,saidY eye comprising the parts separated into Atwo groups and laidaround each other in opposite directions and terminating over thebunched section lying in the Valleys thereof, and a plurality offerrules binding said parts to the bunched section.

5. A sling structure comprising a plurality of parts forming the body ofthe sling, a section at one end of the body in which said parts lie incable formation, and a section between said cable section and the bodywherein the parts lie in ybunched formation, the end sections of some ofthe parts passing between the bunched parts to the opposite side, saidend sections lying along the bunched parts in the valleys thereof, andmeans embracing Said end sections and securing them to the bunchedparts.

VINCENT C. J. PETERSON.

